Buzludzha: Bulgaria’s Abandoned Soviet Monument

Located on top a historical peak in the Central Stara Planina, Bulgaria, the Buzludzha monument looks like an alien ship out of a sci-fi movie. Built in 1981, the monument is closed for the public. Aside from the unusual architecture, which took seven years and 6,000 workers to complete, the interior is filled with intricate mosaic work.

In 1981, the Bulgarians built Buzludzha to commemorate the founding of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party. Ever since the political changes that occurred in Bulgaria from 1989, the state of the monument has been worsening.

Now the monument is abandoned, vandalized, and ruined. As the roof of the building is heavily damaged, the main entrance of the building has been closed for the public.

The Buzludzha Monument‘s concrete structure is sort of a surreal time capsule for the future generations who will be puzzled by their ancestors choice of architecture.

Location: Buzludzha can be reached by two side roads from the Shipka Pass: either a 16 km road coming from Kazanlak or a 12 km road coming north from Gabrovo.